The case, part of the "Farmgate" scandal, has left President Cyril Ramaphosa mired in an impeachment saga.

The move comes barely a week after Rwanda's defence ministry was hit with sanctions by the US Treasury.

Local officials say 27 people had been missing after at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hit a village in southern Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians, who have faced years of Russian attacks, did not take the messages seriously and doubted their veracity.